Draft-IDEAL_2.0_PWS_O&M-Enhancements(FY25).pdf

***Note – this PWS is in draft status and is subject to changes/revisions***

United States (U.S.) Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Forensic Laboratory (FL)

Imaged Document and Exemplars Library (IDEAL) 2.0 Operations and Maintenance (O&M) and

Enhancements Services

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

For

Imaged Document and Exemplars Library (IDEAL) 2.0

Operations and Maintenance (O&M) and Enhancements Support

1.0 BACKGROUND

1.0.a. The United States (U.S.) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security

Investigations (HSI) is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the second largest investigative agency in the federal government. HSI’s primary mission is to promote homeland security and public safety through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs, trade, and immigration.

1.0.b. The HSI Forensic Laboratory (FL) (HSI-FL) is the only accredited U.S. crime laboratory specializing in a broad range of forensic, intelligence, and investigative support services to DHS, ICE, HSI, and other domestic and foreign law enforcement entities.

1.0.c. The HSI-FL is in the process of enhancing its new library catalog system, IDEAL 2.0. IDEAL was designed and implemented in the late 1990s and subsequently replaced with IDEAL 2.0 in 2024. The

Contractor shall provide continuing Operations and Maintenance (O&M) support and enhancements of the fully operational electronic library catalog system. IDEAL 2.0 stores high resolution imagery and data of all physical documents housed in the laboratory, continually expands system access to agency partners, provides real-time response capabilities to field investigators, and ensures continuity of operations in crisis situations.

1.0.d. Throughout the development process, the HSI-FL has identified several areas of improvement and implementation capabilities which are required to enhance the effectiveness of the initial operating

IDEAL 2.0 system. These enhancements will supplement the current capabilities and improve specific mobile functionality, deployment to a larger government audience, training capabilities required by the laboratory and increasing the amount of high-resolution scanned images of the current physical inventory to fulfill future full operation capability and continuity of operations (COOP) capabilities.

1.0.e. The identified functionality areas will consist of:

• Operations and Maintenance (O&M) support and management of the system;

• Interface enhancements;

• User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) enhancements across the platform and any new initiatives implemented;

• Creation and maintaining a robust mobile application interface across several iterations of continual process improvement; and

• Document imaging and uploading of scanned documents and high-resolution images of current and new documentation received by the HSI-FL.

1.0.f. ICE Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) and ICE HSI-FL desire to continue to enhance

IDEAL 2.0 where the needs of investigative personnel and forensic document specialists can be quickly realized, often within a matter of weeks.

2.0 SCOPE OF WORK

Commented [PG1]: Do we really need to call out the pandemic at this point? I feel like this is leftover wording at this point that does not add value.

Commented [PG2]: Please consider revising so this section reads better. I have added some recommendations in track changes, however leave it to you to ensure the information is accurate

Commented [PG3]: Enhancements?

Commented [PG4R3]: I’m going to highlight “Development” in pink so they can all be addressed rather than continuing to make comments. Please DO NOT just do a find and replace all as some of the sections may need to be better revised; or the language should not be changed as it is in the Section 508 language

2.0.a. The scope of this contract includes employing proven Agile Software techniques to deliver, maintain, manage, and enhance IDEAL 2.0 functionality in support of HSI’s mission by identifying, investigating, tracking, and documenting offenses against federal law in the areas of border control, customs, trade, and immigration.

2.0.b. As such, the Contractor shall provide Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Support as well as enhancement support services to include the task areas as defined below:

2.0.c. O&M Tasks: PWS Sections 3.7-3.7

• Continued O&M Support of IDEAL 2.0;

• Solutions Integration;

• O&M Support (Tier’s 2 & 3 Service Desk);

• UI and UX Support:

• Data Management Support;

• Infrastructure Engineering and Configuration Management Support;

• Security Engineering Support; and

• Support of enhancements.

2.0.d. Enhancement Tasks: PWS Sections XX

• Document Catalog Interface;

• Document Indexing Interface;

• Reference Catalog Interface;

• Reference Indexing Interface;

• Managing Templates Interface;

• IDEAL 2.0 Access Interface;

• Administrative Interfaces;

o Versions / Subcategories for all image types and o Admin Portal.

• Mobile Application;

• Comparison screen / Linking Interface;

• Authentication Interface;

• UI and UX modernization, maintenance, and management;

• Roles / Users Interface;

• Wiki / Training Module Improvements;

• Reporting Interface;

• Library / Location Manager Interface;

• Indexing Interface;

• Web Portal Interface;

• Image Uploader Interface;

• Materials and Ink Interface Improvements;

• Performance and scalability Improvements; and

• Image Processing.

2.0.e. These activities are expected to continually align and evolve with full consideration of all ICE privacy and information assurance policies, regulations and guidelines pertaining to the maintenance, Commented [PG5]: What other support systems?

Commented [PG6]: System enhancements?

Commented [PG7]: @Null, Richard A A it was my understanding we are doing enhancements only, not development.

Commented [RAN8R7]: @Goldsberry, Patricia Good catch

Commented [PG9]: Recommend calling out the specific PWS section(s) as you did above for O&M, or delete the reference above, for consistency mailto:0492047159@ICE.DHS.GOV mailto:0943220249@ice.dhs.gov operation, and enhancement of systems technology.

2.0.f. The IDEAL 2.0 Program is conducted under the direct oversight of ICE OCIO and the Executive

Sponsor, HSI-FL. The program is currently organized into an ICE HSI-FL Program Office and an

Integrated Project Teams (IPT). The IPT focuses on a critical portion of the program and is comprised of a government team leader who is accountable for the team mission, objectives and deadlines, and contractor

IPT members who are key stakeholders owning responsibility for accomplishing a portion of the IPT’s objectives.

2.0.g. IPTs will be created, maintained and/or decommissioned based on program progression and agile adoption and evolution. Continuous coordination and communication between the various teams is essential and critical to the success of the program. The IPT structure provides defined roles and responsibilities to ensure accountability, enhance communication within the project, and enable more effective tracking of program goals and objectives by management. The IPTs work together to ensure that risks and issues are identified, addressed, and elevated when necessary. IPTs will require interaction with external project teams periodically, both inside and outside of ICE, when program requirements depend upon such collaboration to accomplish system-to-system or external interface integration with IDEAL

2.0.

2.0.h. The Contractor shall support these IPTs as required, as well as provide feedback on areas to adapt, evolve, and further align to the agile framework in support of program deliverables to the mission. The structure of the ICE HSI-FL Program Office currently includes the following IPTs, but not limited to:

• Requirements;

• Technical Infrastructure; and

• Training and Testing.

2.0.i. This PWS describes work performed within the Requirements, Technical Infrastructure, and

Training and Testing IPTs, as defined in more detail below.

3.0 OPERATION AND MAINTANANCE (O&M) TASKS

3.0.a. As defined in this PWS, the Contractor shall provide qualified and experienced personnel to perform service and support for the continued operations, maintenance, and enhancement of the systems, subsystems if and when initiated, databases, and services of the IDEAL 2.0 supporting architecture. The

Contractor shall deliver innovative, yet proven technology solutions developed and tested using an Agile driven approach capable of further enabling HSI’s mission via IDEAL 2.0.

3.1 Solutions Integration

3.1.a. The Solution Integration scope of effort includes program oversight of the execution of requirements analysis, enhancements, testing, security, configuration, deployment, administration, monitoring, and maintenance of IDEAL 2.0 components and interface enhancements with an emphasis on insuring overall program communication, collaboration, and integration among all the program’s operating components.

3.1.b. The Contractor shall provide integrated program management support, including personnel management, program reporting and cost management, technical risk and issue management, integrated scheduling, and technical oversight. The Contractor is also responsible for ensuring all code aligns with

Commented [PG10]: Need to be consistent throughout document on “IDEAL 2.0 program” v “IDEAL 2.0 Program”. I do not have a preference, but we have to be consistent

Commented [PG11R10]: Highlighted in green throughout document for ease of finding test-driven enhancements and continuous integration, and continuous deployment/delivery best practices.

3.1.c. Additionally, the Contractor shall work closely with the Government Information Technology (IT)

Program Managers (ITPM) and HSI Product Owners to support continued enhancements, enhanced mission delivery capabilities, and operational support activities better aligned to the Agile framework.

Additionally, emphasis will be maintained on supporting continuous integration and management within the ICE Development, Security, and Operations (DevSecOps) pipeline, all to better support HSI’s mission needs.

3.1.d. The Contractor will provide release planning services that work closely with the Government

ITPMs and HSI-FL Product Owners to ensure streamlined, effective, and productive communications and work products.

3.2 Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Service Desk Support

3.2.a. The Contractor shall provide Tier 2 and Tier 3 O&M Support for the IDEAL 2.0 Program. Tier 1

Service Desk Support will continue to be provided by the ICE Service Desk.

3.3 Interfaces Support

3.3.a. The scope of this task currently does not have integrations with any other systems besides

Microsoft Active Directory and Entra for identity management. Support will be required by current

Microsoft Active Directory and Entra identity management platforms.

3.4 Data Management Support

3.4.a. The scope of this task includes the analysis, reporting, and repository management of new and historical (i.e., legacy) images and documents that are and will be ingested into the system.

3.5 Infrastructure Engineering and Configuration Management Support

3.5.a. The scope of this task includes the Infrastructure Engineering and Configuration Management

Support for the ICE HSI-FL IDEAL 2.0 Program.

3.5.b. The overall scope of support categorized by areas includes the following:

• Monitor and resolve ICE tickets;

• Provide maintenance and deployment support;

• Perform systems administration;

• Coordinate and resolve incidents and outages;

• Ensure security;

• Manage internal partner accounts;

• Address system performance issues;

• Configure and maintain cloud storage;

• Manage system performance;

• Manage users and groups within the system;

• Deactivate and activate users;

• Coordinate multiple connections to internal and external partner accounts;

• Improve the Amazon Web Services (AWS) environment to ensure adequate speeds when users

Commented [PG12]: Enhancement?

Commented [PG13]: Can this be deleted?

Commented [PG14]: Helpdesk tickets?

Commented [PG15]: Please confirm this is the correct definition of the acronym

Commented [NR16R15]: Yes it is exceed 10,000;

• Share information with local law enforcement partners and classified areas, requiring a mirrored version of the system with different security;

• Fully test the system before deployment from the enhancement instances to the production instances, including testing each role to ensure inappropriate data isn’t shared;

• Improve the speed of enhancement sites to match the production environment;

• Set up a read/write database propagated across separate read-only databases for end users;

• Manage the full software delivery lifecycle methods and procedures in line with ICE; and

• Provide 24/7 support for emergencies.

3.5.c. Security and Zero Trust: Enhancement to ensure compliance with mandates required of agencies to adopt zero trust cybersecurity principles and adjust their network architectures accordingly. The ICE HSI-

FL IDEAL 2.0 Program involves working with many years of collected data; therefore it is essential to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to protect the data.

3.6 Security Engineering Support

3.6.a. The scope of this task includes Security Engineering Support for the ICE HSI-FL IDEAL 2.0

Program. The Contractor shall provide qualified personnel to support the Government lead in all aspects of system security engineering and to work with the Information System Security Officer (ISSO), on behalf of the program to define and document requirements for, and support installation and configuration of all security components in the overall system physical architecture.

3.6.b. DevSecOps: The Contractor shall provide enhancementtasks to integrate security into every stage of the development, security, and operations processes, from design to tooling to automation. This will build a more secure, resilient, and efficient program that can withstand the evolving security threats of the future.

3.6.c. Security and Zero Trust: Enhancements to ensure compliance with mandates required of agencies to adopt zero trust cybersecurity principles and adjust their network architectures accordingly. ICE HSI-FL

IDEAL 2.0 Program involves working with sensitive data, it is essential to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to protect the data.

3.6.d. The Contractor that supports the agency ISSO that will work with the Government team to participate in all phases of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-37, Risk

Management Framework for Information Systems and Organizations, to ensure the system is compliant with all required mandates. The Contractor and agency ISSO will prepare all security documentation, collect security artifacts, and perform a self-assessment in advance of the security control assessment. The

Contractor and agency ISSO will support any system ICE internal or external assessments.

4.0 IDEAL 2.0 Enhancements Tasks (Non Severable)

4.0.a. Enhancement support and build out services for the advancement of the IDEAL 2.0 Program. These services include the Contractor to provide qualified, experienced personnel to perform actions including, but not limited to: Data Management, Records and Reporting, Interface, Workflow, Tool, and Application

Enhancment Services. The Contractor shall deliver innovative, yet proven technology solutions ehnahnced and tested using an Agile driven approach capable of further enabling investigative and case management capabilities to include, but not limited to, the following:

Commented [PG17]: Enhancement?

Commented [PG18]: Development to production? Please spell out

Commented [NR19R18]: done

Commented [PG20]: Development? Please spell out

Commented [RAN21R20]: done

Commented [PG22]: Enhancement?

Commented [PG23]: Enhancement?

• Data Management Ehnhancement Services.

• User Interface/User Experience Enhancement Services.

• Workflows, Tools, and Application Enhancement Services.

• Automation Enhancement Services.

4.1 Document Catalog Interface

• The system should automatically search the database for images using Artificial Intelligence (AI)

/ Machine Learning (ML) algorithms based on a mobile capture or manual upload. The search results will appear in the Catalog and show percentage matches if needed.

• Allow light sources to be used more than once, with tiles clearly displaying multiple images for a particular light source.

• Allow specific users or other applications to batch download data based on roles and restrictions.

• Implement interoperability with other databases, Software Development Kits (SDK), and applications to share images, functionality, and data from other sources and agencies, such as importing documents/images from other data connections like the Laboratory Information

Management System (LIMS).

• Ensure filters on the Catalog screen do not display until all required attributes have been selected based on the versioning hierarchy. For example, the Identification (ID) Document category would require Country, Document Type, and ID Purpose before other attributes and filters are displayed.

• Replace the PDF viewer to use the full resolution of the PDF.

4.2 Document Indexing Interface

• Set primary and secondary default images so that the secondary image displays when hovering. In

List View, both images will show, while in Grid View, the image changes when hovering at the document level only.

• Use AI/ML algorithms to automatically identify and populate document information (e.g., driver’s license (DL) number, name, date of birth (DOB), etc.) from an uploaded image, improving efficiency and reducing indexing times.

• Use AI/ML to ingest large amounts of data, identifying all fields on a document and placing it in a queue for review. Unrecognized fields should be flagged for further review.

• Allow batch uploading of data with editable templates indicating fields on a document version.

These templates should be auto created using AI/ML but editable by administrators.

• Handle video and audio files such as Audio Video Interleave (AVI), Moving Picture Experts

Group (MPEG), MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3), and MPEG-4 Part 14 (MP4).

• Make detection points available within the comparison screen to easily compare them to genuine documents.

4.3 Reference Catalog Interface

• Implement an easy way to scroll through a set of PDF intel reports, such as a carousel interface with left and right buttons, to help users quickly find the most important reports from filtered results.

• Replace the PDF viewer to ensure it uses the full resolution of the PDF.

• Implement a "show more" link at the bottom of the intel results. Initial results should display exact matches. If the user selects "show more," the results will include fuzzy searches, showing

Commented [PG24]: Deliverables should be identified within this document

Commented [PG25]: Confirm this acronym definition is correct

Commented [RAN26R25]: done intel that may not have matched a specific filter but still relevant. Results will exclude those that do not match any specific filter.

4.4 Reference Indexing Interface

• Provide a batch editing interface that allows users to edit multiple intel reports at once.

• Allow users to combine multiple intel reports into one using the batch editing interface.

• Enable the batch editing function to move intel report fields from one category to another, such as moving specific reports from a sub-category to a main category.

• Allow users to associate a specific page on a reference document with specific criteria entered by the indexer.

4.5 Managing Templates Interface

• Allow users to customize the names of filters and attributes (display names).

• Allow users to define sub-templates for different countries within a single document type. For example, visas can have a specific sub-template for the U.S., while foreign countries use the default template. The default template defines common filters and attributes, while the sub-template indicates exceptions for specific countries.

4.6 IDEAL 2.0 Access Interface

• Integrate a page where users can request access to the system. Administrators should be able to edit this page using the wiki interface.

• Enable batch approval of a set of users.

4.7 Versions/Subcategories

• Allow users to adjust when filters will begin to display based on a selection made within the hierarchy. For example, users should be able to set filters to display only after a document purpose or visa type is selected, using the administrator panel for versions.

• In the versioning screen, allow users to choose whether documents should be sorted in alphabetical order or a user-defined order. Each category should have a default setting option.

4.7.1 Administrative Portal

• Allow users to assign an order to all filters for each document category. Currently, the hierarchy only allows setting an order for filters important to versioning and grouping. The user interface should also allow ordering of additional filters that are not important to versioning.

4.8 Mobile Application

• Transition the web-based mobile application into an app wrapper.

• Allow checking in and out of documents and scanning for auditing purposes.

4.9 Comparison Screen/Linking Interface

• Allow users to upload images into the system via web upload or mobile application into the comparison screen.

• Improve the comparison screen to allow one-to-many comparisons. Load a questioned or genuine document on the left side, and multiple possible counterfeit images on the right side. Display

AI/ML-assisted links to counterfeits or detection points, with percent match indicators for selecting comparison images.

• Ensure the comparison screen works seamlessly with the document linking interface, allowing easy addition of documents to counterfeit families when identified.

4.10 Authentication Interface

• Ensure the authentication interface works seamlessly within the comparison interface, with all tools available in the comparison interface.

• Develop a scoring system to assist users in determining authenticity, guiding them on what to look for rather than giving a definitive answer.

• Incorporate authentication algorithms to improve authenticity determination, whether custom-built or integrated through SDKs or Application Programming Interfaces (API).

• Test various third-party authentication tools for interoperability.

• Use authentication algorithms that utilize both genuine standards and counterfeit families to improve scoring results.

4.11 UX/UI Enhancements and Improvements

• Allow searching of text, images, and content within all content, including images and PDFs.

• Implement a carousel-like view to move from one alert to another, allowing users to go through multiple alerts at once.

• In List View, allow users to add content to be sorted and move columns around to a savable layout that works best for each user.

4.12 Roles and Users Interface

• Allow adjusting the resolution of downloads based on role assignments.

• Enable grouping of individual users into groups.

• Allow administrators to easily manage large groups of users, including groups with over 1,000 users.

• Enable easy sorting and filtering of users.

• Implement new access methods for IDEAL so that Internet Protocol (IP) address whitelisting is no longer required.

• Enable federating large numbers of users.

4.13 WIKI and Training Module Improvements

• Allow creation and modification of custom templates, such as a template for building an alert.

• Enable customization of column widths and merging of columns.

• Allow inclusion of videos, images, text, and other elements into training pages.

• Enable setup of dropdowns and menu bars on the main page or throughout the site.

4.14 Reporting Interface

• Allow auditing of any location within the Location Manager. Users should be able to select a location and scan every document within it. The result should be a report of any missing documents that were not scanned.

• Provide reports on data usage by agency, user, etc.

• Track and report the number of times a user is on the system, number of downloads, etc.

• Capture user habits to build trends, assisted by AI/ML algorithms. For example, if users are frequently selecting Virginia (VA) DLs, it may signal an increase in fraud using VA DLs.

• Generate a list of users, refined based on user groups, active vs. inactive status, locked accounts, etc.

4.15 Library / Location Manager Interface

• Create an audit interface to handle auditing physical documents in the library, including books, cabinets, and documents not currently in a location.

4.16 Indexing Interface

• Ability to bulk edit intel reports similar to documents bulk editing. Need the ability to combine intel reports.

4.17 Web Portal Interface

• Improve the home screen to include interactive dropdowns and tabs within the navigation bar, such as Home, About, Training, etc.

• Add dynamic content management features, such as navigation menus, new posts, and wiki content on the site.

4.18 Image Uploader Interface

• Improve the ability to upload various types of media, including different image formats, videos, PDFs, etc., both in single and bulk uploads.

• Implement a verification process where the user is prompted with an image of the record to be edited and must approve the upload before it starts.

4.19 Materials and Ink Interface Improvements

• Add a spectral viewer for visualizing spectra from various chemical equipment.

• Add an advanced interface for viewing analytic reports and matches to genuine, counterfeit, and altered documents.

• Create a user-friendly interface for uploading and downloading results, data, and spectra.

• Enable searching spectra from different manufacturers' and vendors' equipment.

• Add an Ink Library tab below the document display interface, along with the Intel, Counterfeit

Documents, and Associated Documents tabs. This tab should be role-based and restricted to specific users.

4.20 Inventory Manager Interface Improvements

• Allow producing inventory reports by category and/or country.

4.21 Performance and Scalability

• Improve the performance of the list view document screen.

4.22 Image Processing

• Assist in creating a process to automate the rotation of images, cropping, and output in various formats.

5.0 Contract MANAGEMENT

5.0.a. Overall management of services provided under this contract is considered a critical function.

Implementation and execution of effective program management reduces the risk of schedule delays and cost overruns, decreases the likelihood and impact of negative risks and issues on the program, and increases the ability to communicate and share information with the ICE stakeholders, other contractors, and external stakeholders. The program management objectives are focused on tightly monitoring, controlling, and balancing the project tasks in a manner that allows for the successful fulfillment of contract objectives within the schedule, cost, quality, scope, and technical baselines. The Contractor shall be responsible for the centralized and integrated management and coordination of services under this contract to enable effective, integrated planning, and control mechanisms and tools.

6.0 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS

6.0.a This contract requires a broad range of capabilities. The Contractor shall be responsible for employing qualified personnel to perform the required services consistent with the labor category (LCAT) descriptions below. All personnel shall be fully trained and ready for the task which they are performing.

Contractor personnel must, at a minimum, have relevant experience and expertise in the fields outlined in this contract, as well as excellent written and oral communications skills. Relevant and expertise are defined in the LCAT descriptions below.

6.0.b. The Contractor shall acquire replacement personnel, notify the Government of the staff selection(s), and submit replacement personnel for security processing within 30 calendar days of contractor staff departure. Key Personnel replacement requirements will be addressed on an individual case basis in coordination with the Product Owner, ITPM, Contracting Officer (CO) and Contracting Officer’s

Representative (COR). If questions arise that the Contractor is using other than qualified personnel, the

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) may require the contractor to provide evidence that personnel possess the desired qualifications, certifications, skills, experience, and education.

6.0.c. The Contractor must ensure that applicants submitted for security clearance provide fully completed applications by the requested deadlines. The Contractor shall ensure an approach, which accounts for the

Federal Government’s requirements for on-boarding contractor staff. Applicants shall be pre-vetted by the contractor to ensure suitability to pass security clearance. The ICE’s security clearance process may take an extended period of time to clear a contractor (who does not have a current security clearance).

6.1 Key Personnel and Personnel Qualifications - TBD

6.1.a. The Contractor shall provide qualified personnel to perform all requirements specified in this PWS.

The proposed personnel should demonstrate and have qualified experience in the skill areas identified in each

LCAT below. Experience from the private sector is acceptable; however, purely theoretical or purely

Commented [PG27]: What is your definition of relevant? We should probably define what we mean to ensure the contractor is meeting the requirement.

Commented [PG28]: Is there a DD254 associated with this requirement? If so, do we provide that info in the PWS? I know

DOD we have to state what level of clearance is required, not sure how things are done here at ICE.

Commented [RAN29]: @Morris, Rex Conform to the GSA schedule we are following

Commented [RM30R29]: Title, Description, Education and

Experience directly from ARA GSA Schedule have been added

(highlighted in yellow to the completed items).

Commented [PG31]: Are these LCATs determined to be key personnel? So we need at least 19 FTEs to support this contract?

That seems like a lot considering the dollar value is less than $4M mailto:0165992885@ice.dhs.gov academic experience will not qualify for these requirements. They shall also ensure collaboration and compliance with ICE and HSI standards. Professional level experience will be defined as having multiple years of experience leading team members in the relevant technology stack.

6.2 Continuity of Support

6.2.a. The Contractor shall provide qualified personnel with relevant experience and domain knowledge commiserate with the PWS in terms of necessary skills at the requisite level of knowledge and experience.

6.2.b. Adequate staffing is critical to the successful performance of this requirement. The Contractor shall maintain adequate staffing levels while mitigating risks associated with absenteeism, staffing gaps, and turnover. The Contractor’s staffing plan is incorporated into the contract. The Contractor shall ensure that the required level of support is maintained at all times. The Contractor shall ensure that adequate contract support personnel and all critical functions are present during all hours of operation as defined in paragraph 9.6 of this PWS. If for any reason the Contractor staffing levels are not maintained due to vacation, leave, appointments, gaps, turnover etc., the Contractor shall provide e-mail notification to the

COR in advance while otherwise providing a fully qualified replacement.

6.3 Employee Identification

6.3.a. Contractor employees visiting government facilities shall wear an identification badge that, at a minimum, displays the Contractor name, the employee’s photo, name, clearance-level, and badge expiration date. Visiting contractor employees shall comply with all government escort rules and requirements. All contractor employees shall identify themselves as contractors when their status is not readily apparent and display all identification and visitor badges in plain view, above the waist at all times.

6.3.b. Contractor employees working on-site at government facilities shall wear a government issued identification badge. All contractor employees shall identify themselves as contractors when their status is not readily apparent (in meetings, when answering government telephones, in e-mail messages, etc.)

and display the Government issued badge in plain view above the waist at all times.

6.4 Employee Conduct

6.4.a. Contractor’s employees shall comply with all applicable government regulations, policies, and procedures (e.g., fire, safety, sanitation, environmental protection, security, “off limits” areas, wearing of parts of DHS uniforms, and possession of weapons) when visiting or working at government facilities.

The Contractor shall ensure contractor employees always present a professional appearance and that their conduct shall not reflect discredit on the U.S or DHS. The Project Manager shall ensure contractor employees understand and abide by DHS established rules, regulations and policies concerning safety and security.

6.5 Removing Employees for Misconduct or Security Reasons

6.5.a. The Government may, at its sole discretion (via the CO), direct the Contractor to remove any

Contractor employee from DHS facilities for misconduct or security reasons. Removal does not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility to continue providing the services required under the contract. The CO will provide the Contractor with a written explanation to support any request to remove an employee.

6.6 Staffing Requirements

Commented [PG32]: Recommend removing “high”

6.6.a. The Contractor shall commence all operations required by the contract on the first day of performance, as identified in the contract, and in accordance with the Contractor’s staffing plan.

Therefore, the Contractor shall provide a workforce that is fully qualified and capable of performing all requirements under this contract on the first day of the period of performance (POP). In the event that the

Government determines that sufficient staff is not onboard at the start of performance, the Government reserves the right to stop-work until the Contractor has hired enough resources or reserves the right to pro-rate the monthly rate based on incomplete tasks and / or deliverables until all resources receive an

Entrance On Duty (EOD) date from the Personnel Security Unit (PSU). Further, the Government reserves to the right to pro-rate the monthly rate in the event that staffing falls below what is stated in staffing plan at any time during the POP if tasks and / or deliverables are incomplete. The Contractor shall be responsible for successful completion of all tasks identified in the event of a personnel vacancy. All vacant positions shall be filled within two weeks of vacancy.

6.6.b. Due to the team-based nature of the work under this PWS, the Government expects each position to remain filled and stable throughout the performance of the contract.

7.0 DELIVERABLES AND DELIVERY SCHEDULE

7.0.a. The following chart provides a list of deliverables required during performance at the contract level.

Please note that the dates reflected in the chart are subject to change, as approved by the COR.

7.0.b. Contract deliverables include the following:

Deliverables Chart

Section 7

Deliverable

Initial Delivery Date or within time after

Award

Subsequent Delivery Date(s)

7.1.1

Kick-Off Meeting Minutes and Action Items

One-Time

Not later than five (5) business days after award.

7.1.2

Management and Quality

Control Plan (QCP)

Draft delivered 10 business days after

Kickoff

The Government has 10 business days to review and approve/provide comments.

Redelivery within 10 business days before each option period expires This is a living document: This document may be updated as necessary.

7.1.3

Staffing Plan

Concurred Staffing

Plan to be

Redelivery within 10 business days before each option period expires This is a living

Commented [PG33]: We really need to be careful with this language as we are not doing a level of effort contract. I’ve added some suggested language.

Commented [PG34]: Need to identify who to send to and what format; i.e. COR and PPTX.

Recommend moving towards the end of the document, like after the acronyms as an attachment

Commented [PG35]: When is the final approved due?

incorporated into the contract award.

Updated Staffing Plan delivered 10 business days after contract

Kickoff document: This document may be updated as necessary.

11.1 Property Management

Plan

Contractor shall submit a Property

Management Plan

(PMP) to the to the

COR, ACOR, and

Government Property

Custodian

Within 30 calendar days after date of award.

DELIVERABLE DELIVERY DATES

Bi-weekly updates on feature progress Every two weeks

System is 508 Compliant On-going

Recommended Upgrades Throughout the period of performance

System Lifecycle Management (SLM)

Deliverables

As required for releases/upgrades/patches/updates

Quarterly Progress and Quality Assurance

Surveillance Plan (QASP) Report Every three (3) months

Certification and Accreditation (C&A)

Documentation On-going

Technical Support On-going

System Documentation and Release Notes Throughout the POP

Testing Throughout project on a bi-weekly scrum and demonstration meeting

Deployment Plan Deployment of completed tasks will be done on a three-week release cycle

Training Manuals Will be updated as tasks are updated in an electronic form

Commented [PG36]: Maybe address “Revisions to be submitted to the COR and ITPM for review and concurrence 10 business days before implementation?

Commented [PG37]: This needs to be incorporated into the same format as the previous table for continuity

DELIVERABLE DELIVERY DATES

Government Furnished

Equipment/Government Furnished Property

(GFE/GFP) Inventory Report

Within 24 hours after the initial request from the COR, the Contractor shall provide a GFE inventory report. The report shall include asset tag information, serial numbers, assigned resource, primary office location, the date issued, and a description of the asset.

7.1 Deliverables Description

7.1.a. This section describes the content necessary for the deliverables required above.

7.1.1 Kick-Off Meeting, Minutes, and Action Items

7.1.1.a. The Contractor shall participate in the Government lead kick off meeting at a time/date/location determined by the Government. The delivery instructions are identified below in PWS section 7.2.

7.1.2 Management and Quality Control Plan (QCP)

7.1.2.a. The Contractor shall develop and deliver the draft Management Plan within 10 business days of contract award. The Management Planshall describe the management strategy, approach, controls, processes and efforts that will be utilized to effectively organize and manage all work required under this contract for its entirety. The Government (i.e. COR/CO) shall provide comments/acceptance within 10 business days of receipt. The approved contract Management Plan will be incorporated into the contract after award and shall be maintained and adhered to through the life of the contract. The Management Plan is considered a living document and shall be changed or updated as needed. At a minimum, the

Management Plan must include:

• Detail the capabilities of the Contractors’ proposed team;

• Establish contractor contractor’s corporate organization, structure, leadership, authority, roles, responsibilities, and internal reporting relationships, as it relates to the Program/Project

Management under the contract;

• Establish project management procedures and policies that will be followed to include a consistent approach, controls, processes and efforts that will be utilized to effectively organize and manage work;

• Establish a process for project tracking in terms of the deliverables identified;

• Establish procedures for tracking to ensure integration and alignment to the overall Enterprise

Database Services program;

• Establish reporting requirements and describe cost and schedule reporting mechanisms;

• Processes that will be followed to ensure that assigned personnel have the requisite skills and experience for their assigned roles;

• Risk Management – This section has the contract level risk(s) identified by the Contractor including impacts, mitigation, strategies, and contingencies; and

• Sub-Contracting Arrangements (if applicable) - The Contractor shall include information on its proposed sub-contractors to include:

o Details regarding qualifications, program responsibilities, and plans with regard to allocated

Commented [PG37]: This needs to be incorporated into the same format as the previous table for continuity

Commented [PG38]: Transition in activities? I understand the goal is sole source, but need to plan for the “what ifs”

Commented [PG39]: The Government usually initiates this percentage of total program effort;

o Approaches, processes and responsibilities for subcontractor(s);

o Sub-contractor management approach defining the lines of authority and assignment/reporting procedures; and o Sub-contracting policies and practices.

7.1.2.b. The Contractor shall develop and deliver the QCP within 10 business days of contract award. The

Contractor’s QCP provides the methodology that the Contractor will use to assure services, including deliverables are satisfactorily (as a minimum) provided. The QCP is a contract deliverable for the contract.. The Contractor shall develop, deliver, maintain, and adhere to a QCP to ensure that prior to delivery, their deliverables meet the requirements of the ICE.

7.1.2.c. The Contractor’s QCP shall consist of the following information at a minimum:

• The minimum quality standards, performance indicators, indices, and metrics to be used;

• A description of the review/audit process, its documentation, methods of internal review, identification of staff position(s) performing the reviews, and the frequency of the reviews;

• A description of the approach and procedures for communication with the Government; handling corrective actions; and identifying and implementing potential improvements to the program services; and

• A description of the method of surveillance including who will perform the surveillance, the frequency, and the process for accomplishing surveillance.

7.1.2.d. The Contractor shall conduct Quality Control lessons learned each year. The Contractor shall provide to the Government which lessons learned are addressed when the yearly update to the QCP is delivered.

5.1.3 Bi-weekly Update

7.1.3.a The contractor shall provide updates through bi-weekly scrum calls. The bi-weekly updates shall be delivered during the calls electronically.

5.1.4 Recommended Updates

7.1.4.a. The contractor shall provide recommended updates during the bi-weekly scrum calls.

5.1.5 System Lifecycle Management (SLM) Deliverables

7.1.5.a. The Contractor shall provide SLM deliverables as required for System Maintenance Services projects. All appropriate documentation shall be prepared in accordance with the guidelines specified by the SLM and the approved Project Tailoring Plan.

5.1.6 Quarterly Progress and QASP Report

7.1.6.a. The Contractor shall prepare a quarterly progress and QASP report. These reports are due within

15 calendar days after the completion of the quarter under review. The quarterly reports can be delivered via email and shall contain the following:

• Description of work accomplished (Accomplishments)

• Work planned for the following month (Planned Activities)

• QASP statistics

• Deviations from planned activities

• Open risks and issues

5.1.7 Certification and Accreditation (C&A) Documentation

7.1.1.a. The Contractor shall be responsible for maintaining and updating existing C&A artifacts to stay current with DHS/ICE and Federal requirements. These C&A updates will be required every three (3) years unless a major change impacts security. The Contractor shall also be responsible for supporting the

ISSO for any annual C&A activities, which may be requested (i.e. self-assessments, contingency plan tests, vulnerability scans, etc.).

5.1.8 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)

7.1.8.a. The QASP is the document used by the Government to evaluate Contractor actions while implementing the contract. It is designed to provide an effective surveillance method of monitoring

Contractor performance for each listed task in the contract.

7.1.8.b. The QASP provides a systematic method to evaluate the services the Contractor is required to furnish. The Contractor, and not the Government, is responsible for management and quality control actions to meet the terms of this contract. The role of the Government is quality assurance monitoring to ensure that the contractual standards are achieved.

7.2 Delivery Instructions

7.2.a. The Contractor shall provide electronic copies of each deliverable. Electronic copies shall be delivered via e-mail to the identified government point of contract. E-mail deliverables should be clearly marked in the subject line as a deliverable (requiring review and/or action by the Government). The electronic copies shall be compatible with Microsoft Office or other applications as appropriate and mutually agreed to by the parties.

7.3 Written Acceptance/Rejection by the Government

7.3.a. The Government shall provide written notification of acceptance or rejection of all submitted deliverables for each Call Order within two (2) weeks of receipt. All notifications of rejection will be accompanied with an explanation of the specific deficiencies causing the rejection.

7.3.b. Items must be approved by the COR and/or the appropriate Government authority to be considered

“accepted.”

7.3.c. Deliverables shall be deemed acceptable if the document adequately covers all required topics, meets general quality measures; and is professionally prepared in terms of format, clarity and readability;

and is delivered in electronic copy on time to the designated delivery location. General quality measures, as set forth below, shall be applied to each work product received from the Contractor.

• Accuracy: Work Products shall be accurate in presentation, technical content, and adherence to accepted elements of style.

• Clarity: Work Products shall be clear and concise. Any/All diagrams and graphics shall be easy

Commented [PG40]: Is general meant in terms of minimal? If so, recommend stating minimum in lieu of general to understand and be relevant to the supporting narrative.

• File Editing: All text and diagrammatic files shall be editable by the Government.

• Format: Work Products shall be transmitted via e-mail and in media mutually agreed upon prior to submission.

• Timeliness: Work Products shall be submitted on or before the due date specified in this performance work statement or submitted in accordance with a later scheduled date determined by the Government.

7.3.d. The documents shall be considered final upon receiving government approval. Unless otherwise stated, all deliverables shall be delivered via e-mail not later than 4:00 PM ET on the deliverable’s due date.

8.0 Quality Standards

8.0.a. The Government will work with the Contractor to define any specific quality standards for each work product and/or deliverable produced. For any documents, the Government expects them to be timely, thorough, and accurate. The Contractor shall provide work products and/or deliverables within the acceptance criteria and quality measures identified below:

• Adherence to Requirements - Work products and/or deliverables shall adhere to the requirements in the contract.

• Accuracy – Work products and/or deliverables shall be free from errors and mistakes; and be developed in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.

• Completeness – Work products and/or deliverables shall have all parts or elements adhering to the requirements in the contract and the ICE Standard, guides, or templates.

• Clarity – Deliverables shall be easy to understand.

• Timeliness – Deliverables shall be available at the time required and generated on or before specified and mutually agreed to due dates or in accordance with a later mutually agreed to scheduled date.

• Format – Deliverables shall be submitted in hard and/or soft copy, as agreed by the contractor and ICE. Both hard and soft copy formats shall follow specified guidance, directives, and/or policies.

8.0.b. Performance Standards / Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) includes performance objectives the Government will use to determine contractor performance and will compare contractor performance to the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL). Each Call Order will provide a PRS table specific to that requirement.

9.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

9.0.a. Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings. As required, the Contractor agrees to attend any post award conference convened by the Contracting in accordance with Federal Acquisition

Regulation (FAR) 42.5, Post award Orientation. The CO, COR/ACOR, and other Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the contractor to review the contactor’s performance. At these meetings, the CO and/or COR/ACOR will apprise the Contractor of how the Government views the

Contractor’s performance and the Contractor shall apprise the Government of problems, if any, being experienced. The Contractor shall resolve outstanding issues raised by the Government. Contractor attendance at these meetings shall be at no additional cost to the Government.

Commented [PG41]: Conflicts with statement above about sharepoint/teams v email

9.0.b Combating Trafficking in Persons. The United States Government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy regarding trafficking in persons. Contractors and contractor employees shall not engage in any forms of trafficking in persons during the POP of the contract; procure commercial sex acts during the

PoP of the contract; or use forced labor in the performance of the contract. The Contractor shall notify its employees of the United States Government’s zero tolerance policy, the actions that will be taken against employees for violations of this policy.